Standard Lemma guide

lambaste

verb · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK, US: /læmˈbeɪst/
  • UK, US: /læmˈbæst/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -eɪst
  • rhymes with -æst
  • CMU ARPABET: L AE2 M B AE1 S T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
  • CMU ARPABET 2: L AE2 M B EY1 S T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To scold, reprimand or criticize harshly.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The sergeant lambasted the new recruits daily.
  • Her first novel was well and truly lambasted by the critics.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: berate, scold, tell off, admonish, animadvert, bash, bawl out, slash, lash, blame, scorch, blast, berisp, castigate, censure, charge, chastise, chew out, chide, condemn, criticize, denounce, denunciate, deprecate, derogate, dispraise, drag, dress down, eat someone alive, excoriate, find fault, fulminate, get at, get down, get up, give somebody a piece of one's mind, give somebody what-for, inveigh, lace into, lambaste, lay into, lecture, light into, objurgate, pooh-pooh, put someone on blast, rate, read somebody the riot act, rebuke, reprehend, reprimand, reproach, reprove, rip into, rubbish, savage, skewer, slam, slate, tear into, threap, tick off, tosh, keelhaul, upbraid, vilify, vituperate

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To give a thrashing to; to beat severely.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: dated

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: beat, hit, thrash, bang, baste, batter, belabor, blow, boom-boom, buffet, butt, calcitrate, cuff, dab, dash, dowse, feeze, fetch one a blow, flap, give toco, kick, knock, hammer, impact, jerk, lambaste, lay into, lay on, lunge, patter, pat, pelt, pink, poke, pummel, punch, pound, tap, thump, thwack, rap, slam, slap, smack, smite, spank, strike, swap, swinge, vapulate, whack, whip, yerk

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

censure severely or angrily

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • The mother scolded the child for entering a stranger's car
  • The deputy ragged the Prime Minister
  • The customer dressed down the waiter for bringing cold soup

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: call on the carpet, take to task, rebuke, rag, trounce, reproof, lecture, reprimand, jaw, dress down, call down, scold, chide, berate, bawl out, remonstrate, chew out, chew up, have words, lambast

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: knock, criticize, criticise, pick apart

Narrower terms: chastise, castigate, objurgate, chasten, correct, tell off, brush down

4

verb

Meaning 4

beat with a cane

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: cane, flog, lambast

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: beat, beat up, work over

History

Etymology

First attested in 1637. Probably lam (“beat”) + baste (“beat”)

Across languages

Translations

57 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Central Bikol: tabuga — to scold or verbally reprimand
  • Bulgarian: наругавам (narugavam) — to scold or verbally reprimand
  • Bulgarian: нахоквам (nahokvam) — to scold or verbally reprimand
  • Czech: kritizovat — to scold or verbally reprimand
  • Czech: zkritizovat — to scold or verbally reprimand
  • Czech: napadat — to scold or verbally reprimand
  • Dutch: berispen — to scold or verbally reprimand
  • Dutch: uitschelden — to scold or verbally reprimand
  • Dutch: afkraken — to scold or verbally reprimand
  • Finnish: läksyttää — to scold or verbally reprimand
  • Finnish: haukkua — to scold or verbally reprimand
  • Finnish: ojentaa — to scold or verbally reprimand
  • French: blamer — to scold or verbally reprimand
  • French: reprimander — to scold or verbally reprimand
  • French: gronder — to scold or verbally reprimand
  • Galician: criticar — to scold or verbally reprimand
  • Galician: censurar — to scold or verbally reprimand
  • Galician: reprobar — to scold or verbally reprimand
  • German: beschimpfen — to scold or verbally reprimand
  • German: zurechtweisen — to scold or verbally reprimand
  • German: schelten — to scold or verbally reprimand
  • German: ermahnen — to scold or verbally reprimand
  • German: angreifen — to scold or verbally reprimand
  • German: attackieren — to scold or verbally reprimand
  • Norwegian: skjelle ut — to scold or verbally reprimand
  • Persian: به باد انتقاد گرفتن (be bâd-e enteqâd gereftan) — to scold or verbally reprimand
  • Russian: раскритикова́ть (raskritikovátʹ) — to scold or verbally reprimand
  • Russian: обруга́ть (obrugátʹ) — to scold or verbally reprimand
  • Russian: отчита́ть (otčitátʹ) — to scold or verbally reprimand
  • Russian: вздрю́чить (vzdrjúčitʹ) — to scold or verbally reprimand
  • Spanish: reprender — to scold or verbally reprimand
  • Spanish: vituperar — to scold or verbally reprimand
  • Swedish: skälla ut — to scold or verbally reprimand
  • Bulgarian: напердашвам (naperdašvam) — to give a thrashing to
  • Chinese Mandarin: 痛打 (tòngdǎ) — to give a thrashing to
  • Czech: bít — to give a thrashing to
  • Czech: zbít — to give a thrashing to
  • Czech: mlátit — to give a thrashing to
  • Czech: zmlátit — to give a thrashing to
  • Dutch: iemand aframmelen — to give a thrashing to
  • Dutch: iemand een pandoering geven — to give a thrashing to
  • Finnish: pieksää — to give a thrashing to
  • Finnish: kurittaa — to give a thrashing to
  • French: tabasser — to give a thrashing to
  • French: rouer de coups — to give a thrashing to
  • French: battre quelqu'un — to give a thrashing to
  • German: verdreschen — to give a thrashing to
  • German: verprügeln — to give a thrashing to
  • German: vermöbeln — to give a thrashing to
  • German: fertigmachen — to give a thrashing to
  • German: fertig machen — to give a thrashing to
  • Russian: поколоти́ть (pokolotítʹ) — to give a thrashing to
  • Russian: отлупи́ть (otlupítʹ) — to give a thrashing to
  • Russian: отдуба́сить (otdubásitʹ) — to give a thrashing to
  • Russian: вздрю́чить (vzdrjúčitʹ) — to give a thrashing to
  • Russian: зада́ть трёпку (zadátʹ trjópku) — to give a thrashing to
  • Swedish: klå upp — to give a thrashing to